One-way hingeless ventilator



April 2, 1968 T. A. KELLY ET AL 3,375,772

ONE-WAY HINGELESS VENTILATOR Filed July 1,' 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

In v e n t o r s Timothy A. Kelly David R Altice their Attorney April 2,1968 "r. A. KELLY ET AL 3,375,772

ONE-WAY HINGELESS VENTILATOR Filed July 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

FIG. 7

Inv enfor s: Timothy A. Kelly David R. Altice iheir Attorney UnitedStates Patent 3,375,772 ONE-WAY HINGELESS VENTILATOR Timothy A. Kelly,423 Market St., Salem, Va. 24153, and David R. Altice, 3201 Ventor RoadSW., Roanoke, Va, 24000 Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,228 6 Claims.(Cl. 982) This invention relates to a hingeless ventilator forventilating enclosed air spaces.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved ventilatorhaving a cover which, without a hinged connection to its mount, can beswung in an are about one extremity of an opening to which it is appliedand will be held effectively against service shocks either in closedposition or at any point along the arc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hingeless ventilatorwherein the cover is connected to its mount by a stationary tensionspring, which not only prevents accidental removal of the cover butsupplies the force by which the cover is held in any position in whichit is set.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a hingelessventilator of such arrangement and construction that the same stationarytension spring is enabled to apply to the cover a force in a closingdirection in closed position and mainly in a different direction overthe range of movement of the cover between opened and closed positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge less ventillatorwhich is rugged and economical in construction, has a long service life,and in closed position effectively seals the opening to which it isapplied.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the hingelessventilator of the present invention with its cover in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the ventilator of FIGURE 1 withthe cover in open position;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken alonglines 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the scale of FIGURE4, taken along lines 5-5 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view on the scale and section of FIGURE 5, butwith the cover in open position; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the scale of FIGURE4, taken along lines 77 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like charactersdesignate like parts, the improved hingeless ventilator of the presentinvention, While applicable generally for ventilating enclosed airspaces by regulating the flow of forced air to or from such spaces, isparticularly adapted for ventilating a cab or other enclosed space of avehicle in which the flow of air is produced by movement of the vehicle.

The improved ventilator may be installed on a hori- Zontal or other wall1 of an enclosed space (not shown) and, when that space is a cab orcompartment of a vehicle, may be positioned to open forwardly orrearwardly, depending on whether air is to be forced into or drawn outof the space by the vehicles movement. The ventilator is comprised of acover, door or closure member 2, a frame 3 bounding an opening 4closable by the cover, and a tension rod or spring 5 stationarilymounted on the frame for holding the cover in position. Depending on theinstallation, the frame 3 may be integral with the wall 1, or, asillustrated, an initially separate member weldable or otherwise fixableto the wall and installable as a unit with the cover 2 in an aperture 6cut or ohrewise formed in the wall.

Whatever the installation, the cover 2, despite lack of any directconnection to the frame 3, is designed to swing or pivot between openedand closed positions about a substantially fixed axis or fulcrum and tobe held in those positions and positions therebetween by tensioning orflexing of the rod 5. This operation is obtained by providing at leastone end or extremity of the opening 4 in the frame 3 an outstanding oroutwardly projecting stop or abutment 7, and on the cover 2, andinstanding or inwardly directed shoulder or abutment 8 overlapping andengageable with the outer side of the stop. Conveniently, the stop 7 ispart of a continuous, outstanding or outwardly projecting lip or flange9 on, integral or rigid with the frame 3 and bounding or extending aboutthe opening 4, while the shoulder 8 is part of a continuous instandingor inwardly directed peripheral skirt or flange 10 on, integral or rigidwith the cover 2. With the cover 2 and opening 4 of the preferredgenerally rectangular shape, there thus are provided at the end of theopening 4 about which the cover 2 is adapted to swing, a pair ofcooperating abutments 7 and 8 which constantly overlap and, under aforce urging the cover abutment both toward the frame abutment andinwardly normal to the opening 4, Will engage or contact along asubstantially straight line that will be either fixed or substantiallyfixed, depending on the spacing in closed position between the coverabutment and the outer side or surface 11 of the frame 3 beyond theframe abutment. For minimizing shifting of the swinging axis in theillustrated embodiment by outward sliding of the adjacent cover flange10 along the frame flange 9, the latter conveniently has stamped orotherwise formed on it a plurality of laterally spaced positioning orbearing lugs 12 outstanding toward and engageable by the cover flange10.

To make the line of contact between the pair of abutments 7 and 8, atthe end or extremity of the opening 4 about which the cover 2 swings,the at least substantially fixed swinging axis or fulcrum of the cover,the rod 5 is stationarily mounted on the opposite or inner side orsurface 13 of the frame 3, laterally or transversely of the opening andintermediate and preferably substantially midway of the openingslongitudinal extremities or confines, with its axis substantiallyparallel to space inwardly from the swinging axis of the cover 2. Forboth connecting it to the frame 3 and applying to it throughout itsrange of movement the force of the rod 5, the cover 2 has a handle,lever or guide 14 fixed or secured to it and projecting inwardly fromits inner face 15 through 1h: opening 4. On the handle 14 is a guidewayor guide surface 16 which slidably engages the rod and in the main facestoward the covers hinging axis and flexes or bends the rod in the samedirection on swinging of the cover between opened and closed positions.If, as in the illustrated embodiment, the tension rod 5 extends acrossthe opening 4 and is fixed at, rather than intermediate, its ends, as bybrackets or retainers 17 welded or otherwise fixed or secured to theinner surface 13 of the frame 3 at opposite sides of the opening, thehandle 14 is substantially centered laterally of the opening so as tobend, flex or tension the rod substantially at the latters middle andavoid imbalance in the resultant force on the cover.

The illustrated handle 14 is simple but effective. It has a body 18 thatis flat longitudinally of the opening 4 and that has the guideway 16formed in it as part of a slot 1%. Its inner end is bent at right anglesto the body 18 to provide a foot or mounting flange 20 for riveting orother connection, either directly or through an interposed spacer block21 to the cover 2, and for convenient handling, it has at the outer endof its body a threaded head 22 for mounting a knob or grip 23. Rigid andperpendicular to the cover 2, the body 18 suitably may be generally ofS-shape to contain the guideway 16 with a minimum of metal. Both theguideway 16 and the slot 19 are arcuately concave and, except adjacentits outer or cover end, the guideway presents to the side of the rod itengages a smooth, uninterrupted circularly or cylindrically concavesurface or track 24 which is bounded inwardly by the slo-ts concaveinner end wall 25. Struck substantially about the swinging axis of thecover for uniformity of the holding force, the surface 24 is of a radiusto cause the rod to bend, flex or tension toward that axis to such anextent that the consequent frictional resistance to relative movementbetween the rod 5 and the handle 14 will suffice to hold the coveragainst accidental dislodgement by service shocks in any position inwhich it is set beyond closed position. Not only does the flexing of therod 5 hold it frictionally at any point along the track 24 and yieldablyresist swinging of the cover 2 from the position in which it is set,but, since the resultant force on the cover abutment 8 is directed fromthe swinging axis toward the axis of the rod at an inward incline orslope, there is at all times an inward component which holds the cover 2firmly against the frame.

Beyond the outer or cover end of the circular track 24, the guideway 16is indented away from the end of the opening 4 about which the cover 2swings, to form a socket or pocket 26 in which the rod 5 seats in theclosed position of the cover. The socket or notch 26 is of such depthand so spaced inwardly from the inner face of the cover 2 that theentrant portion of its wall serves as a cam or camming surface 27 whichcams the rod as it leaves the track 24 in a closing operation, so as tochange the flexing, bending or tensioning of the rod 5 from a directiontoward the swinging axis of the cover to one toward and substantiallynormal to the covers inner face. Thus, when in the closed position ofthe cover 2 the rod 5 is fully seated in the socket 26, the forceapplied by the rod is substantially entirely an inward force that holdsthe cover tightly against the frame 3 around the entire opening 4.

If the cover 2 and frame 3 are installed as a unit, the position inwhich the frame is applied to the wall 1 of the enclosed spaced to beventilated will determine in which direction the cover will open. Thesame versatility is provided, even when the frame is integral with thewall 1, so long as there are at least frame abutments 7 at both ends ofthe opening. Also, if this last requirement is met, a ventilator, onceinstalled, can be changed to open in the opposite direction simply bydetaching one of the brackets 17, sliding the rod 5 out of the otherbracket and reanchoring the ends of the rod to the frame 3 after the rodand cover have been turned 180.

At least in a vehicle installation in which the opening 4 should besealed against the elements when the cover 2 is closed, the inner face15 of the cover preferably is lined with a resilient liner or pad 28 ofrubber or like material. The positive closing force exerted by the rod 5on the cover 2 in the latters closed position enables the liner 28 to bemade of material that is harder than the usual ventilator sealing gasketand will not absorb moisture, the presence of which would contribute tothe deterioration of the ventilator and its surroundings. The preferredliner 28 also substantially fully covers the inner face 15 of the cover2 for a better and more permanent seal than the usual strip gasket canafford.

While in the illustrated embodiment the cover 2 is adequately positionedor located laterally of the opening 4 by the overlap or interfit at thesides between the frame and cover flanges 9 and 10, if desired, alocating plate 29 slotted to pass the handle 14 and extendinglongitudinally across the opening 4, may be secured to the inner side 13of the frame 3 at opposite ends of the opening, and this plate and themounting brackets 17 conveniently may be provided with tabs 30 formounting screens 31 in the opening to keep out insects when the cover isopen.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there hasbeen provided an improved one-way hingless ventilator, the cover ofwhich can be set in any desired position within its range of movementand will hold that position against accidental dislodgement by any forceto which it is subjected in service. It should be understood that thedescribed and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the inventionand that all modifications are intended to be included that do notdepart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A one-way hingeless ventilator comprising a frame bounding anopening, a cover swingable on said frame for opening and closing saidopening, guide means fixed to said cover, tension rod means fixed tosaid frame and slidably engaging and tensioned by said guide means forconnecting said cover to said frame and determining the extent ofopening of said cover, and means on said frame and cover and operativeon swinging of said cover for substantially fixing the swinging axisthereof.

2. A one-way hingeless ventilator according to claim 1, wherein theguide means projects through the opening and the tension rod means arefixed to a side of the frame opposite the cover.

3. A one-way hingeless ventilator according to claim 2, wherein thereare guideway means on the guide means, the tension rod mean; arestationarily mounted on the side of the frame opposite the cover andslidably engage and are tensioned by said guideway means, and saidguideway means is struck in part substantially about the hinging axisfor tensioning the rod means toward the axis during swinging of thecover.

4. A one-way hingeless ventilator according to claim 3, including cammeans on the guideway means for tensioning said rod means substantiallytoward said cover on closing thereof.

5. A one-way hingeless ventilator according to claim 4, wherein theguide means are handle means for swinging the cover between opened andclosed positions.

6. A one-way hingeless ventilator according to claim 5, wherein there isa slot in the handle, the guideway is in said slot, the tension rod isreceived in said slot, the part of the guideway struck substantiallyabout the axis is removed from the cover, there is a socket in the guideway adjacent said cover for seating the rod in the closed position ofthe cover, and the cam means are cam surface means in an entrant portionof said socket for changing the direction of tensioning of the rod in aclosing operation as the cover approaches closed position and tensioningthe rod in said position toward the substantially normal to said cover.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,497,624 6/1924 Wells 98-21,654,715 1/1928 Affleck 982 3,046,865 7/1962 Kelly 982 MEYER PERLIN,Primary Examiner.

1. A ONE-WAY HINGELESS VENTILATOR COMPRISING A FRAME BOUNDING ANOPENING, A COVER SWINGABLE ON SAID FRAME FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAIDOPENING, GUIDE MEANS FIXED TO SAID COVER, TENSION ROD MEANS FIXED TOSAID FRAME AND SLIDABLY ENGAGING AND TENSIONED BY SAID GUIDE MEANS FORCONNECTING SAID COVER TO SAID FRAME AND DETERMINING THE